Inside slipper foot cover



Aug. 30, 1966 u. E. ABEL 3,269,038

INSIDE SLIPPER FOOT COVER Filed Aug. 50, 1965 U/QSULAY E. ABEL INVENTOK ATTOQMEVS United States Patent 3,269,038 INSIDE SLIPPER FOOT COVER Ursula E. Abel, 902 W. Roma Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Aug. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 483,519 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-10) My invention has to do with improvements in so-called foot covers which are articles of footwear in the nature of flimsy socklets worn on the foot below the ankle. Usually they are worn where the wearer is merely wearing shoes without stockings, but are sometimes worn to profeet the stocking feet.

[Foot covers generally include a body made of flimsy material, and in the heel portion of the body there is mounted a relatively stiff lining or reinforcing member generally known as a counter to maintain the heel portion of the cover in conforming relationship to the contour of the corresponding portion of the foot, and to prevent it from sagging or working down in the shoe.

Difliculties have long been experienced from the failure of the counter element to perform its intended function in an eflicient manner. The conventional counters have a relatively narrow intermediate portion which bends around the Achilles tendon of the foot and has relatively wide or lobed side portions which are supposed to conform to the contour of the relatively concaved portions of the foot below the angle and above the bulbous portion of the heel. One of those difliculties has been that, as the wearer presses her foot into a low vamp shoe, the top edge of the heel portion of the shoe presents an abutment which the bottom end of the counter engages, with the result that further downward pressure on the foot tends to bow the lobed portions of the counter outwardly away from the foot, thus preventing the counter from conforming to the contour of the underlying portion of the foot.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a foot cover whose counter element has depending side portions whose terminal portions extend beneath the heel of the foot of the wearer so that the pressure of the heel of the foot against those terminal portions causes the counter to be pulled into the shoe without catching on the top edge of the shoe.

The body of a foot cover is usually so constructed that a seam extends lengthwise of the bottom wall of the body of the foot cover and, when being worn, the wearers heel presses against this seam so that discomfort is experienced.

Therefore, it is a further object of my invention to incorporate, in my counter element, means for providing padding between the seam and the foot, by having the terminal portions of the depending side portions of the counter extend into overlapping relationship over the seam. Such overlapping also permits the counter to adjust itself to conform to feet of different widths.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a foot cover whose counter element is shaped to form a pocket or socket into which the heel of the wearer fits, in order to enhance the comfort of wearing my foot cover.

-My invention may be more particularly understood by reference to the following description of a presently preferred embodiment, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my foot cover with portions broken away for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation with portions broken away for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan View of my improved counter before it is installed in a foot cover.

Referring now to the drawing: '5 generally denotes the body portion of my foot cover having a bottom wall 8 and is preferably made of a flimsy knitted material, such as nylon, cotton or other soft thread, and having enough elasticity in order to enable it to be stretched over the foot. It is also conventional to stitch a continuous elastic strip 9 to the top edge of the body. Conventionally, also, a foot cover presents a seam 10 lengthwise of its bottom wall.

The body portion of my foot cover may be of conventional form, my present improvement having to do principally with the counter element generally denoted 15.

This counter element is composed of a relatively stiff, flexible material such, for instance, as pellon, felt, compressed fabric, or canvas, and comprises a medial portion 20 whose top edge 21 conforms to and is secured to the top edge of the body, as by stitching, and the counter depends from that stitching into substantial lining relationship to the heel portion of the body of the foot cover.

The counter or reinforcing liner 15 has integral depending side portions 23, 24 curved inwardly towards each other and whose terminal portions 25, 26 extend beneath the heel of the foot preferably into overlapping relationship over the seam 10, whereby to provide a. padding be tween the wearers heel and the sole of the shoe.

When the weight or pressure of the heel of the foot is imposed on the overlapped portions, the counter 15 is retained in a shape which, in effect, provides a conforming socket into which the wearers heel fits. This weight or pressure of the heel of the foot also retains the overlapped portions of the counter from slipping relative to each other.

I claim:

1. In a foot cover, a body comprised of relatively ifiimsy fabric adapted to be stretched over the foot of a wearer and having a bottom wall; a reinforcing element for the heel portion of said body comprising a strip of flexible, relatively stiff material having its top edge portion secured to the top edge portion at the inside of the heel portion of said body; said reinforcing element having depending opposite side portions terminating in overlapping relationship overlying the heel portion of said bottom wall in position to be pressed thereagainst by the heel of the wearer.

2. In a foot cover, a body comprised of relatively flimsy fabric adapted to be stretched over the foot of the wearer below the ankle and having a bottom wall presenting a lengthwise disposed medial seam; a reinforcing element for the heel portion of said body comprising a \flexible strip of relatively stiff material having its top edge portion secured to the top edge of the heel portion of and depending into said body in lining relationship to the heel portion thereof, said reinforcing element having depending opposite side portions curved inwardly towards each other and terminating in overlapping relationship over said seam.

3. In a foot cover, a body of flimsy material shaped to conform to the wearers foot, and a liner element for the heel portion of said body, composed of relatively stilf, flexible material secured along its top edge to the top edge of the heel portion of said body and depending into the heel portion of said body, said element having opposite side portions extending into overlapping relationship against the heel portion of said bottom wall; said overlapping portions being unsecured to each other and free to move laterally relative to each other whereby automatically to adjust said element to heels of different Widths.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,912,539 6/1933 Paul 36--10 2,339,057 1/1944 Crofut 36--1O FOREIGN PATENTS 114,599 1/ 1942 Australia.

JORDAN (FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner. 

1. IN A FOOT COVER, A BODY COMPRISED OF RELATIVELY FLIMSY FABRIS ADAPTED TO TE STRETCHED OVER THE FOOT OF A WEARER AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL; A REINFORCING ELEMENT FOR THE HEEL PORTION OF SAID BODY COMPRISING A STRIP OF FLEXIBLE, RELATIVELY STIFF MATERIAL HAVING ITS TOP EDGE PORTION SECURED TO THE TOP EDGE PORTION AT THE INSIDE OF THE HEEL PORTION OF SAID BODY; SAID REINFORCING ELEMENT HAVING DEPENDING OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS TERMINATING IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP OVERLYING THE HEEL PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM WALL IN POSITION TO BE PRESSED THEREAGAINST BY THE HEEL OF THE WEARER. 